Customer Reviews

Mozart: Don Giovanni [Highlights]

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"Don Giovanni" is, in my humble opinion, Mozart's greatest work: a romantic and unforgettable journey into the darkest realms of his ingenius imagination. The complete opera, with its many dialogues, is really intended for the opera hall, for the vividness of the work can best be appreciated around the personae of theatre. The music, however, flows like the Danube, especially the hand-picked favorites. This cd is exquisite -- the best version available. Pop it into the stereo and let it play every track, for they are among Mozart's greatest pieces. The singers are simply outstanding -- and the Philharmonia, which is the orchestra to consider above all others when dealing with opera, is charming. I bought the cd a year ago for "La ci darem la Mano," and it remains my favorite aria of all time, and the cd itself is my favorite among an armoire filled with Mozart and dozens of other composers. I don't know why anyone would pass this cd up -- it is truly the best value in opera, and maybe in all classical music!

I don't care what you think about Sutherland's later recordings- you really ought to hear this. No mushy diction or moony mannerism here- it's crystal clear, and the voice sounds so gloriously fresh that it's actually poigniant to hear (I mean no disrespect to the path that Dame Joan and her husband took in developing her voice). She is perfection- precise, agile and yet powerful, not pasty like so many Annas; she sounds highly agitated (which is perfect for Donna Anna). If fact, she sounds like more of a threat to the Don than her tenor boyfriend. Highly recommended- and perfect in highlight form for those of you who own a full set and don't want to fork over the bucks for another full set.

This is known as one of the best recordings of Don Giovanni, and I can see why! Wachter's Don is great- forceful, nasty, cruel. Taddei's Leporello is very good, too, and I enjoyed his "Catalogue" aria very much. Sutherland's Donna Anna almost is greater then everyone else! She threatens like the Don himself, and is very forceful as well. Her fiance, luckily, is not as wimpy as most Don Ottavios are. Schwarzkopf is a good Elvira, too. My only reservation is Sciutti's Zerlina. Though she sang beautifully, she sounded very weak in, "Batti, batti" or in, "Tra quest'arbora celata." Giulini's conducting is wonderful, so I'd suggest this cd.

In this recording we have fourteen highlights of Lorenzo Da Ponte's Don Giovanni.

Da Ponte finished the libretto in June 1787 and the whole score was successfully completed on 28th October 1787 for an opera `'buffa''
Throughout the rehearsal period, Mozart and librettists were working hard and fast making certain changes that slightly delayed the premiere.

Listen to the wonderful six (+) minutes Overture. Can one believe that it was performed at sight, as soon as the ink had hardly dried on the page?

Don Giovanni is one of the many operas based on the legend of Don Juan.
The opera speaks of a young nobleman, Don Giovanni, who after a life of romantic seductions, fails in his three last encounters: with Donna Elvira, his wife, whom he has abandoned but still follows him; with Donna Anna, whose father, the Commendatore, the Don kills in a duel while escaping from an unsuccessful attempt to have sex with Donna Anna and as a result postpones her marriage to Don Ottavio; and with Zerlina, whom he vainly tries to lure her into deserting her fiancé, the simple peasant Masetto.

All players promise vengeance on both Don Giovanni and his irritated but faithful servant Leporello.

Elvira alone breaks in her resolution and tries to reconcile in the hope that the Don straightens out and makes changes to remove his abusive conducts.
That fails too.

Don Giovanni's destruction and death in hell are affected by the cemetery statue of the Commendatore - Listen to ""Don Giovanni, a cenar teco, m'ínvitasti"" a six and a half minutes of unparalleled musical recitative. "" Don Giovanni has cynically invited the statue of Donna Anna's father, the Commendatore, to supper. He appears and returns the invitation: will Don Giovanni sup with him? Don Giovanni agrees, but as he offers his hand on it, he is transfixed by a deadly chill. The Statue calls on him to repent. Repentance, however, is no part of the Don's nature, and as he refuses, Hell opens beneath his feet, flames shoot up and he is dragged away by demons....""""

Carlo Giulini: BRAVO

This is the absolute best Don Giovanni, ever. The cast speaks fo itself. With Joan sutherland just bursting to the Opera world as Donna Anna.

With the new lower price in a different pressing, why not just get the whole set? Every single scene and aria and ensemble in Don Giovanni is marvelous. And we all know that this cast is definitive. Do it.

I purchase highlights of operas to be sure I make the right choice before purchasing the entire work. I won't be buying this version.

I had great hopes and as much as I have loved these artists in the past, they don't suit my taste in this Don Giovanni. Sutherland is a stand-out, but I find the recording disjointed by solo work rather than ensemble. The conducting is good, but inconsistant and the sound is cloudy. It doesn't feel like a live performance, which my needs require for any opera recording.